


How Not to Save a Life

by reqlity



Category: Victorious (TV)
Genre: Angst, Established Relationship, F/F, The Author Regrets Everything
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-22
Updated: 2020-07-22
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:42:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,395
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25441087
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reqlity/pseuds/reqlity
Summary: One moment can be the difference. A few seconds could determine your faith. The blink of an eye could separate life and death. Would you like to see how life could have changed had you reacted differently in that blink?
Relationships: Cat Valentine/Jade West
Comments: 4
Kudos: 26





	How Not to Save a Life

**Author's Note:**

> TW// blood, gore, death
> 
> if any of these are triggering to you, please do not read.

“One moment can be the difference. A few seconds could determine your faith. The blink of an eye could separate life and death. Would you like to see how life could have changed had you reacted differently in that blink?”

“Yes.”

\----------

_The halls of Hollywood Arts were bustling as per usual on Fridays, with teens dancing in the middle of the halls and instruments playing, showing off the tremendous musicality of the students. Andre Harris was among these muses, fingers dancing over ivory keys as his keyboard sang gorgeous notes, a gift to sore ears._

_There seemed to never be a drab moment during a simple passing period, and Jade West was not about to disappoint. “Where is she?” A dark voice barked at the keyboardist on the stairs._

_Andre looked towards the goth in confusion, “Where’s who?”_

_“Cat!”_

_As if summoned, the redhead materialized at her girlfriend’s side instantly. “I’m right here Jadey!” Cat giggled, poking Jade in the arm. Jade didn’t hesitate before her hand landed upon the smaller girl’s cheek and their lips met. Cat could taste Jade’s pomegranate lip gloss as their tongues clashed, feeling eachother up in a moment of passion._

_Andre’s facial expression turned sour as he feigned vomiting. “Get a room!”_

_Jade reluctantly pulled away to make a sharp-tongued comment. “You’re literally eating some new chick’s face in these halls every week.”_

_“Well I-”_

_“Hey guys!” A shrill voice interrupted as Jade inwardly cringed._

_Groaning, Jade responded, “Ugh go away!”_

_“Can you please be nicer to Tori?” Cat whimpered in a sickly-sweet tone, her sweet, luminous eyes begging Jade’s irises._

_The goth couldn’t help but melt at the very image of her girlfriend’s pleading gaze; Cat was the CEO of puppy dog eyes. Anytime the redhead made a request with that gaze, Jade couldn’t help but comply. As much as she loved her girlfriend, Jade hated the control Cat had over her. It was like she became a mindless clone anytime those coffee-colored orbs reached into Jade’s bitter little heart._

_“Hello Vega,” Jade grumbled, eyes narrowing into daggers as she burned her way through the very depths of Tori’s soul. Vega’s face seemed to drain of life in response as her gaze snapped away from Jade, the goth smirking victoriously._

_Cat, unaware of the damage done by Jade’s glare, beamed widley, irises seeming to twinkle with delight. Jade swore anytime she looked into Cat’s eyes, she descended deeper and deeper in love with the redhead._

_Cat meant everything to Jade, no matter what her princess was there. Every morning, Jade would wake to a wholesome message from Cat. Every night, the girls would fall asleep on the phone together, Cat sometimes falling asleep to Jade’s singing. On weekends, they were attached at the hip, and usually at the lips as well._

_Jade couldn’t even imagine a time where Cat’s radiant glow failed to cheer her up in any situation, the redhead’s childlike innocence proving to be a failsafe treatment to any ailment Jade contracted whether it be physical or mental. Cat’s shine never failed to melt the ice surrounding Jade’s heart; without the light, the essential organ would probably freeze over._

_The piercing whine of the bell soon sliced through the middle of Jade’s thoughts, signifying it was time to head to their next class: Sikowitz._

_Lacing her fingers within Cat’s, Jade led the girl towards Sikowitz’s classroom, not even pausing to wait for Tori and Andre. It was their last class of the day, and Jade was practically itching for the alone time with Cat the weekend would bring._

_As students filed into the room, Sikowitz completed his writing on the board for the lesson of the day. Right as the bell echoed, the school’s speakers blared as Helen’s frantic words sent the school into a state of panic. “Hollywood Arts go into lockdown immediately! This is not a drill! There is an active shooter on campus! Get into lock-” A gunshot sounded._

_The room went dead silent as expressions of pure terror disfigured student’s faces. Jade instinctively grabbed Cat’s arm and pulled her to hide in a storage room._

_Cat’s breathing was rapid and uneven as her chest heaved, her lungs screaming for air. “I can’t breathe,” she whispered._

_“Breath in through your mouth,” Jade reminded, one arm holding Cat close and the other running fingers through velvet tresses. Jade’s mind could barely even function as violent thoughts ripped her head apart, clawing through the tissue of her brain. Nothing felt as if it were real as Jade convinced herself this was all one huge fever dream of insanity. The pounding of her heart seemed to break her rib cage and her body felt weak, yet she forced herself to remain strong for Cat’s sake. She couldn’t allow herself to falter, or Cat would surely follow. Jade brandished the scissors from her boot wordlessy, breathing slowly in an attempt to remain calm._

_Cat felt like she was choking, she wanted to scream and plead and beg for air, but her final shred of rationality kept her silent. Nothing could really prepare anyone for this, no matter how many stories one hears on the news, no one ever expects it to happen to them. Her breathing remained shallow as the pigment of her flesh faded as a result of oxygen deprivation. Waterfalls of tears cascaded silently down paling cheeks. It didn’t feel real._

_Heart-wrenching screams filled Sikowitz’s classroom as gunshots increased in volume. Jade’s chest hurt and her skull suffocated her brain as the sound of heavy footsteps got louder and louder. Cat’s shallow breaths didn’t cease until the door flew open and her eyes met a masked man’s. The redhead flung herself towards the ground as her sobs broke the soundless barrier._

_Jade’s vision turned black and white as her ears fell deaf. Everything was in slow motion as the barrel of the gun moved down towards Cat. Without a moment’s hesitation, Jade jumped forwards as pain exploded in her thigh, a bullet sinking into the muscle. Scissors in hand, Jade lunged at the attacker blindly, shoving the blades right into his throat as blood spewed from the open wound like a water fountain. The man fell to the ground as he choked in the thick red liquid._

_Jade dropped into Cat’s arms and held her as tightly as possible, liquid drops of trauma spilling from sapphire eyes as she squeezed her angel close. They ignored the ocean of red pooling beneath them as sirens wailed in the background, Jade eternally thankful for Cat’s life._

\----------

Jade watched in dejection as the illusion faded from the screen, watery crystal bullets leaving dark streaks of makeup, like blackened rivers parting pale cheeks. “Bring it back!” Jade demanded aggressively, the sight of Cat’s eyes full of life sending sparks of inconceivable hope across her bones.

The psychic seated at the other end of the table sighed before replying, “I am unable to bring it back, nor can I make it a reality. I can only show those what could have been.”

Jade’s heart sank faster than the titanic as she gazed around the bohemian tapestry covered walls, dull irises searching the patterns desperately for a distraction from the memory resurfacing freshly in her mind. No matter how many times she tried to erase it, it was tattooed there permanently, scorched sempiternally in her temporal lobe. 

Despite the efforts to press pause, the reality of the event began to replay itself.

\----------

Jade’s vision turned black and white as her ears fell deaf. Everything was in slow motion as the barrel of the gun moved down towards Cat. The goth felt completely paralyzed with terror as the blood within her veins froze. She willed her blood flow to continue, leaping forward with only a mere second’s hesitation. Cat’s scream shattered Jade’s heart as a bullet smashed through her skull and a hurricane of blood burst on sight. Blinded by rage, Jade ripped the scissors in her hands through the attacker’s throat.

The dread felt suffocating as Jade turned around to look towards Cat, a sea of red completely engulfing her. 

Grabbing Cat, Jade held her as the light behind her eyes gave out. Those expressive, luminous eyes becoming nothing but a shadow of emptiness. The candle keeping Jade’s heart from freezing over burnt out, and her heart became trapped in permafrost.


End file.
